Royal Armouries Board Welcomes Three New Trustees

Rebecca Crook and Judith Donovan have been appointed for four year terms, commencing on 28 September 2026 to 27 September 2030. Helen Williams has been appointed for a four year term, commencing on 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2030.

Rebecca Crook

Rebecca Crook is UK CEO of MSQ DX, a global digital experience company with £70m+ annual revenue and over 500 people delivering digital products, experiences and AI solutions for major brands. She has 25 years of experience, having helped scale and sell three digital businesses for a combined value in excess of £140m.

Alongside her commercial career, Rebecca has spent over 15 years as a trustee and advisor in the heritage, museums, and cultural sector, driven by a passion for protecting historic places, collections and buildings for future generations. She is currently Chair of the Enterprise Committee at Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust. She co-founded and chaired Saltdean Lido CIC, raising over £8m to restore the site and writing the successful application to upgrade its listing to Grade II*. The lido is now operating as a tourist destination and community hub, with a restaurant, café, event spaces, swimming pool, gym and library. Previous board roles include The National Trust Strategic Advisory Board and London Transport Museum.

Rebecca is co-chair of BIMA's CEO & Leadership Council and a Women in Technology mentor and features in the Management Today Women in Leadership Power List 2026, BIMA 100 and Campaign 40 over 40.

Judith Donovan

Judith Donovan CBE was one of the first female entrepreneurs in Yorkshire, founding her own marketing agency in 1982, which she grew to over 50 staff, and a turnover of £12.5 million, before selling to her managers in 2000.

Since then she has pursued a Non-Executive and Trustee career, primarily in the Public and Third sectors. She currently is Trustee of Science Museum Group, Member of National Railway Museum Advisory Board, Chair of Employment Advisory Board at HMP Askham Grange & New Hall and Chair of Ripon Cathedral Council and Vice Chair Ripon Cathedral Rural Forum. Judith is also Chair of Keep Me Posted Campaign, Trustee of the Woolmens Company charity & The Tobacco Benevolent Society, Member of General Committee Reform Club and Member of Business Council the Jobs Foundation

Previously she has been Chair of Eden Project Ltd, Trustee National Army Museum, Chair National Army Museum Trading Ltd, Chair Advisory Board National Science and Media Museum & Science Innovation Park, Vice Chair of Postwatch, a Millennium Commissioner, a Director of HSE, BIG Lottery Fund and also Chair of the Yorkshire Tourist Board, Chair of Bradford TEC, President of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, a Trustee of Northern Ballet and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and also a DEFRA appointed member on both the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the British Wool Marketing Board.

Helen Williams

Helen Williams is Chief Strategy & Policy Officer at the National Wealth Fund, the government backed investment bank based in Leeds, where she leads the organisation's strategy, policy, comms and shareholder relations functions. A member of the founding executive leadership team, Helen played a key role in establishing the institution and shaping its investment strategy in support of economic growth and clean energy projects across the UK. She sits on the Investment, Risk and Credit Committees.

Helen has more than two decades of experience in central government, having held a range of senior leadership positions across Whitehall, including the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Her government career focused on strategy, public policy, governance and the sponsorship of major public bodies.

During her time at DCMS, Helen led policy relating to museums, heritage and the arts, including oversight of national cultural institutions and relationships with arm's-length bodies. She is an experienced non-executive director including serving as Vice-Chair of the Horniman Museum and Gardens. In 2022 Helen was a member of Gold Command responsible for the strategic coordination of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the Royal Armouries are not remunerated.

These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office's Governance Code on Public Appointments . The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

Rebecca Crook, Judith Donovan and Helen Williams have declared no such political activity.

Notes

DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.